Planets: Preservation Planning Components and Strategies

Eleonora NicchiarelliAustrian National Library Helen Hockx-Yu, Adam Farquhar The British Library

EVA/MINERVA Conference Jerusalem, 20 November 2007

Outline of presentation

Brief introduction to PlanetsKey components of Planets architectureGeneral digital preservation scenario using Planets tools and servicesPlanets components in detail

progress to date foreseen developments

Conclusions

Planets overview

A 4-year research and technology development project co-funded by the European Union to address core digital preservation challengesStarted June 2006 with €15m budgetCoordinated by the British LibraryBuilds on strong digital archiving and preservation programmesFocuses on the needs of libraries and archivesInvolves 16 partners

National libraries and archivesLeading technology companiesResearch universities

Planets partners

The British LibraryNational Library, NetherlandsAustrian National LibraryState and University Library, DenmarkRoyal Library, Denmark

National Archives, UKSwiss Federal ArchivesNational Archives, Netherlands

Planets partners

Tessella PlcIBM NetherlandsMicrosoft ResearchAustrian Research Centers GmbH

Hatii at University of GlasgowUniversity of FreiburgTechnical University of ViennaUniversity of Cologne

The Planets team

All Staff Meeting, Feb 2007

Objectives

Increase Europe’s ability to ensure long-term access to its cultural and scientific heritage

Improve decision-making about long term preservationControl the costs of preservation actions through increased automation, scaleable infrastructureEnsure wide adoption across the user community and establish market place for preservation services and tools

Build practical solutionsIntegrate existing expertise, designs and toolsDeliver tools and services that can be used in an operational environmentA click-and-install Planets application

Motivations

For national libraries & archivesHave been collecting digital documents and records since 1982Have the legal responsibility and the legislative framework to safeguard digital information

• preservation and access over the long term is their primary mission

Realise that meeting the challenge of preserving access goes beyond the capabilities of any single institutionCollaboration with research & ICT is a mustNeed pragmatic solutions here and now

Motivations

For researchers Complex cross-disciplinary issuesFundamental frameworks still unclearHuge potential impact for a broad range of society

For technology companies and tool developersOpportunity to introduce and test innovative tools, services and productsOpportunity to increase competitivenessThe market is emerging – personal and corporateFew vendors have the capability to address this need on their own

The Planets Preservationcomponents

Characterisation

PreservationPlanning

ActionTestbedInteroperabilityFramework

Planetsapplication

Planets Application : Characterisation

Characterisation

PreservationPlanning

ActionTestbedInteroperabilityFramework

Planetsapplication

Characterisation

Tools for automatic analysis of digital objects’ technical and intellectual characteristicsAn XML-based generalized model of information contained withinfiles:

a language which describes a file format (XCEL - eXtensibleCharacterisation Extraction Language)a language which expresses the content of a file (XCDL –eXtensibleCharacterisation Definition Language)

Supporting registry of characterisation information

First definition of languages readyAutomated Characterisation Framework based on PRONOM/DROID to be integratedFinal specifications of the characterisation description and extraction languages, as well as the tools, available end 2008

Planets application:Preservation Action

Characterisation

PreservationPlanning

ActionTestbedInteroperabilityFramework

Planetsapplication

Preservation Action

Methodology for describing preservation action toolsSupporting registry of tools for objects (migration) and tools for environments (emulation)Gap analysisDevelopment of new migration and emulation tools

Description language and gap analysis initiatedFirst release of requirements for registry, and of procedures glossary Overview of existing emulators and testing of approachEnd 2008:

Develop new Preservation Action toolsImplementation of file migration tools as web servicesPreservation action tool registries

Planets application:Testbed

Characterisation

PreservationPlanning

ActionTestbedInteroperabilityFramework

Planetsapplication

Testbed

A controlled environment offering to organisations inside and outside Planets

experimentation services (evaluation of individual tools)preservation plan assessment services corpora

First prototype available for sub-project evaluation September 2007

First internal release February 2008Opening to external institutions end 2008

Planets application:Preservation Planning

Characterisation

PreservationPlanning

ActionTestbedInteroperabilityFramework

Planetsapplication

Preservation Planning

Tools for formulating and selecting preservation plansTake into account also institutional factors external to the digital object

Policy modelsCollection/usage modelsInstitutional requirements on characteristics: PLATO

Preservation planning tools will include decision support and risk assessment modulesPreservation planning services will integrate an automated collection profiling service, a technology watch service, and an advice service

Planets application:A whole preservation cycle

ContentBefore

Characterisation

PreservationPlanning

ActionTestbed

I.F.

Planetsapplication

PreservationPlan

ContentAfter

CharacteristicsRequirements Policy

Model UsageModel

ExecutionAutomated QA

Digital preservation: still a craft

Digital preservation practice is still emergingSubstantial conceptual workAd hoc project approaches using locally selected tools

There is no systematic analysis of preservationstrategies or tools and services

Result: poor and inconsistent decision making

Conclusions – Planets approach

Planets methods, tools, and services will help organisations diagnose and treat problems with their digital objectsHigh levels of automation and scalable components will reduce costs and improve qualityEmpirical data with systematic evaluation, benchmarking, assessment will enable improved decision makingFrom craft to automated process

Find out more:

http://www.planets-project.eu